Abstract
In order to identify sections that require the most maintenance, the use of FERIC's Opti-Grade grading-management system is shown to reduce grading costs by continually measuring the roughness of the road. Once identified, managers can concentrate maintenance efforts on those sections. At present, with thirty-four systems in service across Canada, users report savings in grading costs on the order of 25%. The paper also shows how Opti-Grade can be used by managers in determining the impact of the road's roughness on travel speeds in order to identify problem sections as candidates for rehabilitation. A calculation method for the justification of rehabilitation on economic grounds is provided.